Amazon to Enter Tablet PC Market by Christmas
At first, the move from book reader to tablet computer seems like a natural progression for Amazon, but moving into the already crowded tablet pc market could actually a very big leap for the Internet vendor.
Moving from a very limited use device, like the Amazon Kindle, to something more substantial, that can do more than just read books, could be Amazon's only way of staying relevant in the online book market, and can get their foot in the door of a much larger tablet pc market.
We will hold off on making any further predictions or comments until we've had a chance to view the final device, which is rumored to be built by Samsung.
Not to be outdone by all the buzz for the newly released Blackberry Playbook or iPad 2, it seems Amazon is also joining the color tablet PC fray.
Quanta Computer, the Taiwanese tablet PC manufacturer of the Playbook and Sony S1 & S2, along with E Ink Holdings, have received orders from Amazon to develop a color LCD touchscreen device featuring “Fringe Field Switching technology“. Apparently, FFS LCD screens offer a wider viewing angle, more realistic colors and better outdoor viewing than regular LCD displays. Though no prices have been released yet, this contract is expected to bring in “$3.5 billion” for Quanta by the end of 2011, with “monthly orders during the peak season … expected to reach about 700,000-800,000 units and Quanta is expected to start shipping as soon as the second half of 2011,” according to DigiTimes-just in time for the holiday shopping season.
So what will be the fate of the Kindle, Amazon’s flagship e-book reader? Sources at DigiTimes suggest the Kindle’s days may be numbered due to its inability to appeal to consumers beyond North America and Europe, which only further legitimizes that an Amazon-brand iPad competitor is really on its way:
“[While] Amazon’s Kindle still has strong sales, but the e-book reader is currently still unable to successfully cut into the markets outside of North America and Europe; therefore, Amazon internally plans to reduce Kindle’s market price to attract consumer demand from the education and consumer market, while will push tablet PC using its advantage in software and content resources to challenge iPad2.”
Is this why Target is selling the Kindle for a mere $114 this week? Does Amazon have a chance against Apple?
techdevicereviews.org
techdevicereviews.org
